Champers? Pah! Pass the Prosecco

JILLY GOOLDEN’S last-minute guide to the most fashionable fizz on the High Street

Once known as a cheap man’s champagne, prosecco has now become a delicious, classy drink in its own right. Such is its popularity that this week, Marks and Spencer reported a 45 per cent increase in sales and announced the launch of magnumsize bottles to meet rising demand.

But while we’re now drinking more of the sparkling wine than ever, few of us know which bottles to buy.

For while the quality of wine and champagne can often be judged by origin or brand names, prosecco is far more daunting, as we know far less about its brands or production.

The choice is further confused by the varying range of prices and constant whirl of discounts and promotions.

As we stock up on fizz for new Year’s eve celebrations, wine expert Jilly Goolden tastetests a spectrum of supermarket proseccos and gives her verdict on which bottles to buy, whether you’re looking for a budget bargain, trusted brand or bank-card blow out . . .

BUDGET BUYS

Spumante Extra Dry, £5 (reduced from £5.50), Asda

JILLY’S VERDICT: england has suddenly gone mad for prosecco and this Asda own label shows why.

It’s so round and soft, it seems seductive with its generous fruit and a hint of sweetness. Great party wine — it would definitely stay the course.

Prosecco was originally just a little Italian sparkling wine made in the Venice region and used as the basis for Bellinis (sparkling wine and peach liqueur cocktails), but has come a long way since. This bottle is perfect for those who like off- dry wine (a nudge above dry). Flowery, fruity and alluring as well as a complete bargain — enjoy it all the way through the evening. Top marks.

Martini, £5.99 (reduced from £11.99), Morrisons

JILLY’S VERDICT: Of course, we’ve all heard of Martini, and it’s a whopping great brand in Italy. Their prosecco is slightly lemony, with a rather delicious hint of lily of the valley bath essence.

A little soapy and floral, but overall, it tastes clean and fresh and is sold at a good price, as well as coming in a smart-looking bottle.

Sainsburys Frizzante, £6

JILLY’S VERDICT: Frizzante means less effervescent, less bubbly, which many people prefer. But while the name and label say gentle fizz, I’d say this drink is harsh. And truly foul.

I t has the screw- top because it’s less sparkling, so doesn’t need a cork. It delivers very few clumsy bubbles, bobbing about in the glass.

It smells like rotting water lillies and bog plants and tastes like pondwater with a hint of sick. no joy whatsoever.

Allini Extra Dry Prosecco, £4.69, Lidl

JILLY’S VERDICT: Any good news stops after the word Prosecco and the low price.

This smells like empty sea shells. Tingly and almost salty. Where’s the fruit? Where’s the fun? Utterly dyspeptic. Its pungency suggests you’ll need another fizz for afters: Alka-Seltzer. Plaza Centro, £6.49 (reduced from £12.99), Tesco JILLY’S VERDICT: A rather manufactured-looking, washed-out effort — so much so that i t seems almost watered down. It’s flimsy and you could only drink it in the daytime. Like having a spritzer — if I were given this in a glass, I’d hand it back. It looks and tastes cheap.

OWN LABELS

Asda Extra Special, £6 (reduced from £6.50) JILLY’S VERDICT: This bottle shows why buying prosecco is such a minefield — it’s pricier than the same shop’s budget buy, yet completely eclipsed by it.

Quite plump and fruity with a hint of pineapple,

but a bit dusty-tasting and catches in the throat. not a joy. Marks & Spencer Prosecco, £9.99

JI L LY ’ S VERDICT: A delightful discovery — no wonder M&S’s sales are soaring. This is gorse-like, with elements of berry fruit and herbaceous leafy e dge. Soft and e asy drinking with a hint of fruit gum.

I often f i nd that the supermarket’s own-label proseccos are, on the whole, a l ot better than the independent brands. Sainsbury’s Winemakers Selection Prosecco, £7 JILLY’S VERDICT: This gets a huge thumbs-up from me. It surpasses not just other bottles, but Sainsbury’s more expensive prosecco. As soft and tasty as Devon fudge and attractive from start to finish.

not one off-note, though it’s off-dry (one step away f rom being dry) which won’t suit all tastes. easy to drink and satisfying. Altogether, money well spent. Tesco Finest Brut, £8.49 (reduced from £9.49) JILLY’S VERDICT: What a shame something that begins so well ends so clumsily. This has a rosy creaminess at the start, then a chalky note creeps in, clouding the recipe.

As own-labels go, this did not distinguish itself. Morrisons Spumante, £9.99 J I LLY’S VERDICT: Smells l i ke mothballs — not unpleasant in themselves, but hardly what you hope for in a drink.

This cascades out of the bottle as frothy as shaving foam and tastes like boiled sweets with an aftertaste of cardboard. Keep your tenner in your pocket. Co-operative Prosecco £6.66 (reduced from £9.99) JILLY’S VERDICT: A confusing drink. It has a sandpaper rough nose, but then a soft pal at e wit h a pretty patisserie note. I actually quite liked it, once I got over the nose.

MID-MARKET

Villa Jolanda Extra Dry, £7 (reduced from £9), Asda JILLY’S VERDICT: This is a very expensive- l ooking bottle. Apart from the whiff of dried mushroom i t’s plump and friendly — fruity with a hint of raspberries.

extra dry i n prosecco terms actually means less dry than brut, which is bone dry — so it’s still reasonably sweet. I like it. Superiore Valdobbiadene, £7.49, Aldi JILLY’S VERDICT: The badbreathed boyfriend of the prosecco world.

Remember that prosecco is made in a slightly cheap and industrial way, in a steel tank — which doesn’t always work out well.

This is very busy and fizzy then instantly dies, losing its bubbles almost i mmediately. I t has a heathery scent and a sort of rose petal flavour. But it lifts you up and then dumps you — the finish is rancid and cloying. Yuck. Valdo, £10.49, Co-operative JILLY’S VERDICT: I was put off by the high price, but this Valdo was lovely and gets a real thumbs-up from me.

A scented bouquet of a nose, then a sweet and flowery fruity palate. Round, soft and very well-balanced. Worth the money. Torretta, £10, Sainsburys JILLY’S VERDICT: Some proseccos are so washedout, they taste watered down, and maybe this is why many people like them. It’s better to be slightly ugly rather than totally ugly, which so many sparkling wines are.

This has very delicate bubbles, with a hint of pear drops and bluebells. But overall, it’s not very nice. Drying on the palate and leafy as opposed to flowery, with a hint of apple skins and dried herbs.

Slim and dull. certainly not worth a tenner.

BLOW-OUTS

Harvey Nichols Frassinelli, Prosecco Superiore di Conegliano Valdobbiadene NV, Extra Dry, £12.50 JILLY’S VERDICT: This proves that there is such a thing as a premium prosecco. It’s worth looking out for that word superiore on the label, as it is here — which means more concentrated fruit and better quality.

A blossom and f udge nose, then peach with pulverised sugared almonds. Stood out from the crowd and my favourite of the lot. Zardetto, Marks and Spencer, £12.50 JILLY’S VERDICT: This really is n’ t ni c e at al l and demonstrates just what a muddy pond the world of prosecco is. You simply have no idea what’s going to be good.

It looks the business, but smells of blotting paper and has a talcum powder edge, l i ke ol d l adies’ toiletries. There is lily of the valley hint, but not in a good way.

Too sweet and certainly not worth the extra expense. Maschio Brut, Tesco, £12.99 JILLY’S VERDICT: Right up there with the Harvey nichols bottle — but from Tesco! A revelation.

This has a soft, sweet, strawberry flavour with a recurring lily scent.

Soft and fruity with a sort of Turkish delight appeal, but not at all sickly. easy to drink and no hard edges.